>>REVIEW
THE GREAT WARMING
DIRECTED BY Michael Taylor
Wednesday, March 15
Uptown Screen
Rife with conflicting opinions from leading international scientists, and largely ignored by politicians from one of the most powerful countries in the world, global warming often seems complex and circuitous. Compounding the problem is that, in a world reliant upon the opinions of so-called experts, the experts in this case just can’t seem to agree.
Screening as a part of Movies that Matter, The Great Warming is simple and direct in its narrative. Writer-director Michael Ellis allows the facts to speak for themselves, weaving his tale in a way that is clear and concise without ever being condescending towards the audience. Narrated by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves, the documentary is, essentially, climate change for the layperson and it is this straightforward, no-holds-barred approach that makes it so compelling.
A Canadian production, The Great Warming is global in its scope, spanning four continents and highlighting the sweeping impact minute changes in one part of the world can have on areas hundreds of thousands of miles away. As the Earth’s temperature creeps higher, degree by degree, the film explores how humans are contributing to a problem that threatens the very delicate balance of life.
To be sure, the many experts in the documentary provide a sense of legitimacy and credibility to the issue, but it is the stories of those affected by climate change on a day-to-day basis – experiencing temperature extremes, along with changes in the growth of their crops and their way of life – that provide the most emotionally raw evidence that global warming cannot be ignored. Arctic fishermen discuss glacial melting and extended periods of unusually warm weather; a Chinese family purchases their very first car in a country where millions will do the same in the next 10 to 15 years; and a Louisiana fisherman discusses what he sees happening on the swamps and rivers that provide his family with sustenance. Perhaps the most eerie aspect of the film is one particular interview addressing a gentleman’s concerns, which was completed prior to Hurricane Katrina’s devastating effects on August 29th, a foreboding warning in a film that could very well be a Nostradamic prediction of the devastation to come.
The very best the film can do is present the facts, and any hypothesis on whether or not a largely industrialized world can function through the reduction of greenhouse gases is purely that – an educated guess. But what’s important about this film is that it’s brave enough to ask questions, and challenge others to take small, personal steps towards lessening their own ecological footprints: "…only when ‘regular folks’ truly understand the consequences of global warming can there be real change." |
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